Wordly Wise

I've been reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

For those who haven't read Carol's post or Anno's, Eat, Pray, Love is about one woman's year long journey through Italy (eat), India (pray), and Indonesia (love). During her time in Italy, a friend of hers in Rome explains that every city has its word. In Rome the word is SEX. In Stockholm, claims Liz's Swedish friend, Sophie, the word is CONFORM.

Ann Arbor's word is OPINIONATED.

You walk through our streets, sit in our cafes and restaurants, surf the internet in our public libraries, whisper before our movies start and what you'll hear are OPINIONS. Not opinions, but OPINIONS.

We go through life trying to slam our policies, theology and politics into the unwitting brain patterns of others.

This was a day when I was filled by OPINIONS, and tried to balance the OPINIONS of one family with the OPINIONS of another. And during my lunch hour at school, I listened to the OPINIONS of parents who had heard about the OPINIONS expressed on all sorts of schooling on this blog.

Opinions are good. Being able to express your opinions is very important. It's one of our most important rights here in the United States. It is one of the pillars of our culture and our society.

But sometimes... it would just be nice... if everyone... would... just...be...quiet.

Have a restful, peaceful evening!